Goalie Ed Belfour, forwards Doug Gilmour and Joe Nieuwendyk and defenseman Mark Howe have been elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame, the Hall announced on Tuesday.

Belfour played on five NHL teams from the 1988 to 2007, winning the Stanley Cup in 1999 as a member of the Dallas Stars. A two-time Vezina trophy winner, he was also a member of Canada's gold-medal team at the 2002 Olympics.

"It is hard to put into words what this means to me," Belfour said in a statement issued by the Stars. "I would like to thank all of my teammates and people along the way who helped me achieve my hockey dreams."

Gilmour had a two-decade long career with, among other teams, the St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs. He won a Stanley Cup with the Flames in 1989 and had 1,414 points.

“This is an overwhelming honor and one that makes me reflect back on the teammates and coaches I have had over years,” Gilmour said. “Larry Mavety, who gave me a chance in Tier II hockey, and Gord Wood, who drafted me into Junior at Cornwall, are two people who were instrumental in helping me establish myself as a player."

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Nieuwendyk was nearly a point-per-game player, with 564 goals and 562 assists across a career that spanned 20 seasons. He won Stanley Cups with the Flames in 1989, the Stars in 1999 and the New Jersey Devils in 2003. He was the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as MVP of the 1999 playoffs.

"I am humbled and honored to be voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame," Nieuwendyk said. "This is a tremendous honor."

Howe, son of fellow Hall of Famer and Detroit Red Wings legend Gordie Howe, had 197 goals and 545 assists in 16 NHL seasons with the Hartford Whalers, Philadelphia Flyers and Red Wings. He also played six seasons in the WHA.

"I was elated to have this dream come true," Howe said. "To actually have my name in the Hall of Fame with my dad will mean so much to my family."

Coach Pat Burns and forward Pavel Bure were among those not earning enshrinement.

Burns coached in 1,019 games with the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins and Devils and won a Stanley Cup with Devils in 2003. He died in November 2010 after a long series of battles with cancer.

Bure, a key figure in the integration of Russian players to the NHL, retired in 2005 after a 12-year NHL career in which he led the league in goals three times.